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Final BCS season should be a wild ride

Love it or hate it - we're guessing there are far more in the
hating camp - the system for determining college football's
national champion will be mothballed after this season, replaced by
the new, aptly-named College Football Playoff.

As farewells go, this one has a chance to be a memorable one,
filled with intriguing story lines, great players and great teams,
led by two-time defending national champion Alabama.

And, because this is the BCS, we can probably expect plenty of
debate about what team should be where in the rankings.

This final go-round starts on Thursday, so here's a few things
to look for:

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TOP TEAMS

Alabama. All those future pros, an unflappable quarterback, one
of the game's all-time great coaches - hard to pick against the
Crimson Tide making it three straight titles.

Ohio State. The Buckeyes went 12-0 in their first season under
Urban Meyer, but were tattooed out of the national title game
because of NCAA sanctions. They're still loaded with talented
players.

Oregon. Don't expect any drop-off under Mark Helfrich. Chip
Kelly left the cupboard plenty full before leaving for the
Philadelphia Eagles.

Stanford. The defending Rose Bowl champions are eyeing the big
prize this season.

Alabama at Texas A&M, Sept 14. Manziel had the signature
game for his Heisman resume by handing Alabama its only loss of the
season. The Crimson Tide want payback - in a bad way.

Oregon at Stanford, Nov. 7. The ultimate in contrasting styles
could have a huge impact on the national championship race again
this year.

LSU at Alabama, Nov. 9. Another Game of the Century? Maybe, but
will have national championship implications and fun to watch no
matter what.

Georgia at Clemson, Saturday. The No. 5 Bulldogs and No. 8
Tigers have two of the nation's best quarterbacks in Murray and
Tajh Boyd. The marquee game of the opening weekend should provide
plenty of fireworks in Death Valley.

Notre Dame at Stanford, Nov. 30. The Fighting Irish won last
year's game in overtime on a goal-line stand and went on to the
national title game. The Cardinal had to ''settle'' for the Rose
Bowl and will be looking for payback at home.

Wisconsin at Arizona State, Sept. 14. The Badgers' speed vs. the
Sun Devils' power in an early-season test for teams that have BCS
bowl aspirations.

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HOT SEATS

A handful of coaches head into the season needing to win a few
games or they could be looking for a new job. Here's a few:

Randy Edsall, Maryland. He's won three conference games in two
seasons since taking over for popular Ralph Friedgen and it won't
get any easier with the Terps headed to the Big Ten after this
season.

Lane Kiffin, USC. He's been hamstrung through a postseason ban
and limited scholarships from the Reggie Bush-related sanctions,
but excuses have a limited shelf life in the land of Troy,
particularly after last season's flameout.

Mack Brown, Texas. The Longhorns are 11-15 in the Big 12 since
playing for a national title in 2009 and have been ripped by rival
Oklahoma three straight years. That won't fly in Austin for very
long.

Bobby Hauck, UNLV. A highly-successful coach at Montana, he's
struggled in the move up to the FBS, winning three games in each of
his three seasons.

Gary Pinkel, Missouri. A move to the SEC could be Pinkel's
undoing if the Tigers don't start winning in their new league
soon.

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BEST NAMES

Run through college football rosters across the country and
you'll find some interesting names. Here's some of the coolest we
could find:

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